Visit Nature Republic stores and get FREE Snail Therapy samples from December 28-29, 2011!

NATURE REPUBLIC branches:

Alabang Festival Mall

SM North

SM Fairview

For specific floors and contact numbers, check out the old post on SM Fairview Grand Opening

The Nature Republic Color Waltz nail polishes come in cute Paul and Joe-ish bottles. I got mine in BE103, a splash of beige-grey color, which for me, creates an almost perfect nude nails look.

1 coat of Nature Republic Color Waltz nail polish in BE103

What I love:

• inexpensive at 65php (~$1.50); cheapest among the other local Korean beauty boutiques 
• dries up fast
• easy to remove
• opaque at first glide
• i never had problems with it after waking up in the morning; usually, with other brands, the polish is a bit ruined in the morning and i sort of retouch by using a top coat
• the brush is perfect for my nail shape and size (unlike that horrible polish brush!)

I'm no pro with nail color but this polish is absolutely newbie-friendly! I never worried about bubbles like I did when I used a red nail polish and I didn't have to layer on so much to achieve an attractive opacity.

Uh-ohs:

• did not work with my The Face Shop base coat... the Nature Republic Color Waltz nail polish got a bit gooey when I used it over the TFS base
• layering the polish just makes it ugly; I just use 1 coat
• ingredients are not listed so it's hard to say if it's The-Big-3-free

I'm wondrin how this'll look like 'neath the Nature Republic Crackle :) Hmmmm...

Check out the photos of the polish under indoor lighting (all @ 1 coat):

And outdoors:

I adore BE103 and will definitely get more Nature Republic Color Waltz nail polishes. It's a breeze to use and newbies-to-polish like me can seem to look like a pro with it. I will be too dishonest if I refuse to admit that one of the biggest factors for repurchasing the line is its adorable bottles. These polishes are just too darn cute side-by-side each other, it's hard to own just one!

Marie Digby is Make Up For Ever Philippines' brand ambassador. It was a 'Makeup and Marie' night last Thursday at the Bonifacio High Street when Marie herself graced the event and was such a sweet sport to cater to our endless questions.

The Meet Part. Before wowing everyone with her gorgeous look that evening, the event's guests helped themselves with checking out MUFE's great makeup line, Marie's album, and tons of chikka and kakulitan.

And then came Marie. Cameras clicked like crazy and I'm too vertically-challenged to get a good shot of her at the back of the gushing crowd. But a little arabesque-ing just scored me a couple of shots:

From beauty, skincare, lovelife, childhood and youtube makeup gurus, she fascinated everyone that evening with her spontaneous.

Q: What's your fave MUFE makeup?
The Make Up For Ever Face and Body Foundation!
Q: What one makeup can't you live without?
Lipstick! A swipe of this makeup can make a huge difference for the face.

Q: Fave youtube makeup gurus?
Michelle Phan and Lauren Luke.
Q: Are you seeing someone?
Nope. Do you have one for me?
Q: When's the best age to put on makeup?
I advise young girls to work on their character first before making a big deal out of their physical attributes. Inner beauty is far more powerful. When you grow a little bit older, that's when you can spend more time prettifying yourself.
Q: Did you get your very fair skin from your Japanese mom?
Nope. Got it from my dad. My mom's really brown/golden.
Q: What do you miss most about Japan?
Their attention to detail and the people's pride in their work. If you see someone cleaning the streets as his job, there's a great chance he is very happy about what he's doing.
Q: Any whitening tips for the Filipinas who want to get your kind of fair skin?
I love Filipina skin! Why do you need to whiten your skin? Among my siblings, I'm the palest. I've envied their golden color for the longest time and so I always tried to get a good tan. But it was always unsuccessful because I ended up with patches of bronzed skin that looked weird. A few more failed tanning made me realize that I just have to love my skin. It probably is the best color for me since God designed me this way.

And Marie Digby adds she loves Make Up For Ever's Eyebrow Corrector. It's among the brand's bestseller and it's actually working well for her, too!

The Greet Part. Sangkatutak na photo-op.

Marie Digby came in a beige chiffon  shift dress with stunning silver accents on the neckline. I loved how her nails beautifully matched her lips and curls. It was just so dainty.

Thank you Ms. Grace Ambrocio, Marketing Executive of BOCC, for the Make Up For Ever Meet and Greet Marie Digby invite! :)

Even guys love Snoe. A guy friend of mine asked me how much Snoe products are, his nose buried on my Here Comes The Sunblock bottle, so that he can give it out this Christmas for the girls at work. He says, if the rest is as delicious as the sunblock, it might just be worth all the courage a guy musters when setting foot on the beauty section to buy girly whatnots for gifting.

If guys are curious about how much these fragrant beauty stuff are, well so much are the girls! So here's Snoe's price list for the holidays:

Products	Price
Snoe White Beauty Bars all variants	139
Snoe White Skin Softeners All Variants	249
Snoe white MILK Scrubs	349
Snoe white Extra Strength Glutathione whitening powder mask	349
Here Comes the Sunblock SPF 45	199
S Skin Stem Cell SPF 30 Cream	169
S Skin BB Vit E Cream	249
Magic Apple Whitening S-rub	179
Beso Balm	149
Body Ritual Recipes Scrumtious body Spritz all variants	249
Emuthology Concentrate	499
Emutox	449
Fizzy clean Foaming hand sanitizers all variants	179
Good Vibe Collection Hand Sanitizer sets	199
Happy White ever after Whitening Massage oil	249
Happy Heels Foot Set	349
Hair Heroes argan cleansing Conditioner	499
Hair Heroes Honey Olive clementine Shampoo	399
Hair Heroes Hone olive clementine conditioner	399
Four seasons blush	199
Glam Jam all Variants	118
Eye Boop Precision liquid liner	119
Pout Pow High definition Lip Vinyl	149

And here are some product photos I took from the Snoe Beauty event:

Whitening Beauty Bars, 139php (~$3)

Extra Strength Glutathione Powder Mask, 349php (~9)

Hair Heroes Olive Clementine Shampoo & Condish, 399php (~$10)
 Hair Heroes Argan Oil Cleansing Conditioner, 499php (~$12)

BB Cream, 295php (~$7), and S Skin Stem Cell SPF 30, 169php (~$4)

Milk Scrubs, 349 (~$9)

Skin Softeners, 249php (~$6)

Here Comes The Sunblock SPF45, 199php (~$5)

Foaming Hand Sanitizers, 179php (~$4)

Body Spritz, 249php (~$6)

Snoe sunblocks, happy white massage oil, and the beauty bars are cool gifts for the girl friends! The milk scrubs and the skin softeners are in attractive packaging and I recommend these two as well. If you're interested with the hand sanitizer, Pleasant Peach is my best bet. Also, the beso balm and the glam jam jars make good stocking stuffers.

Check out more product photos at the Snoe Beauty website and at the Snoe Beauty Facebook fanpage! These products can be bought online (Call 0999-888-SNOE; 0917-558-SNOE; 0922-8436567 for orders) and through their stalls at:

G/F Cinderella, Glorietta, Makati

G/F Festival Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa

2/F Fashion Ave, SM Muntinlupa

G/F, SM Valenzuela
G/F Market Market (in front of Forme)
Robinson's Galleria
Landmark Trinoma (cosmetics area)
Robinson's Dasmarinas

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING??? SHOPPING + SPECIAL TREATS AT THE GREENMEADOWS BAZAAR!

The Greenmeadows Xmas Rush Bazaar is the perfect place! No traffic, no crowded malls, no long lines... Just you and 120 handpicked vendors. You will surely find the perfect gift!

GREENMEADOWS XMAS RUSH BAZAAR

DECEMBER 17 & 18 (10AM-7PM)

GREENMEADOWS CLUBHOUSE

***INSIDE GREENMEADOWS, NOT 

AT CHURCH PARKING LOT***

Free entrance!!!

Free gift wrapping!!!

Hourly raffles!!!

And for the grand raffle, spa treatments and major kitchen appliances are up for grabs!!!

See you this weekend!!! 

I finally got my hands on the Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Skin Whitening Set some two weeks ago. The Acnesol Pimple Control Facial Cream, while it did a fantastic job, will have to take the backseat while I check this kit out (I've been on the whitening line for a week already).

The most wonderful thing about it is that it's a complete skin regimen without breaking the bank. It's P355 ($9)! The very inexpensive tag makes it easier for skincare junkies to try out the best beauty & whitening products in the market.

This is the individual cost of each product included in the set:

Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Whitening Facial Wash 75 (60)

Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Lightening Facial Toner 85 (60)

Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Whitening Cream 105 

Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Face and Body Sunblock 180 (100)

The numbers in (red) are the prices when HBC holds their bargain sale. I'm pretty sure the box of Hortaleza, M.D. Illuminous Skin Whitening Set is also marked down, but I have to confirm that from the store.

Just awhile ago, I sent my BF the disheartening photos of what the fighting pitbulls of Cavite had to go through before being rescued. He told me he can't bear going through the photos, it was too sad and that he might not get a good night's sleep thinking about the pictures.

I apologize for the photo below, but, it's reality.

"This boy is also so sweet considering he had so much injuries from the fight"
Photo Source

Anyway, I learned through Gale that PAWS Philippines need our help. They are housing 40 of over 200 pitbulls rescued from the heartless dog enslavers. Only 73 were kept alive and these poor, emaciated mutts are cared for by different orgs. I'm definitely extending a hand to help out!

For those who would like to help, you may drop off dog food, stainless steel bowls, plastic matting (to line bottom of cages), cleaning materials (deck brushes, walis tingting, detergent powder) and veterinary supplies (gloves, Zoletil, etc). Donations may be dropped off at PARC, Aurora Blvd., Katipunan Valley , Loyola Heights. QC between the hours of 10am to 5pm.

 

Quoting Gale, "kahit isang walis tingting ay makakatulong". It's also a nice idea to pool possible donations from those who have no means of dropping off items at PARC. I plan to donate goods instead of cash. Well, that's just me. I and the BF'll surely take a trip to PARC before the week ends.

I plan to investigate on who the other orgs were that took the other poor pitbulls under their care. They might need more help than PAWS (PAWS being a more popular group) does. I'll let you know.

"Skincare and beauty products are to be slathered on and not eaten." That's what I kept reminding myself the entire time I was taking a whiff of every Snoe (pronounced, snō-ē) Beauty product during their bloggers' event last Saturday. Their products, especially the sunblock, are literally every woman's food for the skin!

Here are the geniuses behind the brand: Jen Diaz, 35 years old, and Gen Gerodias, 39 years old. I actually had to convince myself they were telling the truth when they revealed how old they already were.

Aside from learning about this proudly Filipino beauty brand, I was able to meet a lot of beauty and fashion bloggers that day. We had so much fun chatting and eating Manang's chicken! Snoe Beauty owners are actually related to the brainchild of Manang's chicken :)

i sat in between Sarah and Julia

(L-R) there's Bec, Aya, Gel and some young fashion bloggers

Why Support Snoe Beauty?

Aside from the fact that it's proudly Pinoy-made, the brand has come up with makeup and skincare products based on the principle that the Filipina skin is ridiculously diverse. 

It's a relief to learn that the owners are die-hard skincare (and whitening!) junkies, and have been through the cheapest and most expensive topicals in search for their holy grails. Snoe Beauty was therefore created to cut back on harsh chemicals and incompatible products that the Filipina skin goes through during the tedious phases of product testing. 

Kumi to your far right listening intently to the presentation

Ms. Lan and Kassy P.

Brand Principles:

• Create effective products using high-quality ingredients
• Allow reasonable price points that will allow every Filipina skin the pampering it deserves
• Devote in the creation of a wide range of products to cater all skin types
• Go for intricate and luxurious packaging with a wide range of colors and scents!

Ms. Lenny (right), ang supegirl ng Snoe Beauty, taking photos
there's also Kumi and Mitch

the rest of the gang during the raffle right before I left

Snoe Beauty Branches and contact / phone numbers:

G/F Cinderella, Glorietta, Makati

G/F Festival Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa

2/F Fashion Ave, SM Muntinlupa

G/F, SM Valenzuela
G/F Market Market (in front of Forme)
Robinson's Galleria
Landmark Trinoma (cosmetics area)
Robinson's Dasmarinas

Customer Care Hotline: 0999-888-SNOE; 0917-558-SNOE; 0922-8436567

It's sad I had to leave the event early because of another commitment. But the pretty girls from Snoe Beauty handed me a customized loot bag full of yummy-smelling products! I just can't wait to eat try them out!

I know that the Snoe Beauty website will be live any day from now. If you're a skin whitening junkie and could not wait to check out how unbelievably delicious their soaps and sunblocks are, you can like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!

... and the tweaking failed. I really love the finish of the San San Age Defying Two-Way Foundie 03 that I tried using it with a light liquid face base, the Estee Lauder Double Wear in Ivory Cream.

It just didn't work! The powder foundie still oxidized badly on my skin :( There are those that are not really meant to be, I guess.

Last November 23, 2011, I had fun with several other girls as Goody Philippines launched their newest easy-to-use hair accessories. Both their brush collection, under Start.Style.Finish, and hair clips innovation, under Simple Styles, were worth lusting for!

It was doubly fun to be seated with S3 [Say, Sab and (S)Char]! My first time to shake hands with Char (Yellowyum) and Sab (Misscorypotts)... thanks Say for the introduction!

and congratulations to Gwen Carino, Ms. Rochelle, Jenna and James Sy for the wonderful event!

Say, Char and Sab

The first part of the event was all about Start. Style. Finish. Have I been living under the rock to not know that the key to shiny and manageable hair is to use not just one type of brush??? I'll have that tackled on a separate post. For now, let me tell you that our wonderful speaker from David's Salon was just hilarious doing the brush demos:

Next up was Camille Co. She shared how fab her hair looks for every fashion shoot using the different Goody Simple Styles hair accessories. I think she was using the spiral bun when she stepped up the podium:

She even let her hair down for us to see how using the clip can result to beach wave hair:

Camille also demo-ed how the spiral pins were so easy to use. She played with Patricia's hair:

After keeping us oooh-ing and aaah-ing at her gorgeous beach babe locks, Camille finally demonstrates how the spiral bun is as easy on the hair as the Goody spiral pins:

So now her hair's neatly pulled up in a bun once again as she concludes her talk:

One of the event's highlights was the interaction between the audience and the Goody Simple Styles collection. We were urging Say to volunteer (she had long, thick hair... a challenge for the spin pins honestly) but three other girls were already beaming with excitement to get their hands (erm, hair?) on the Goody clips:

Lissa, Danika and Alyssa

Here's Lissa and Danika with the spin pins and spiral bun respectively:

Lissa and Danika's 'do's as I spy from the back:

Lastly, Alyssa with the mini pony pouf. I know that Goody claims that each clip is suited for every hair type, but I've witnessed that this can be rebutted. The hair specialist had a hard time styling Alyssa's thick and curly hair into a full pony; she opted to do a half ponytail using the pony pouf instead!

Just look at that spunky half-pony! My kind of hairstyle :D

The new Goody hair accessories are every girl's dream talaga. I have my eyes on the spin pins and pony pouf. Get yourself updated with the latest hair trends by following Goody Philippines on Twitter and liking them on Facebook!